Refrigeration control system

• US 7,290,398 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copeland Cold Chain LP
• Original Assignee: Computer Process Controls Incorporated (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Jayanth, Nagaraj, Renken, Troy W., Mayne, Alan E., Wallace, John G., Rohn, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang; Chen Wen
• Application Number:
  US10/925,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20050076659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 621/57, 621/29, 622/31, 417/18, 417/32, 417/44.1, 418/55.1, 418/55.5, 702/184, 702/185, 702/183, 702/182
• US Class Current: 62/157
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/075 with parallel compressors
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/22 Refrigeration systems for supermarkets
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1931 Discharge pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/1933 Suction pressures
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/195 of the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21151 at the suction side of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21152 at the discharge side of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21161 of the fluid heated by the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/005 of safety devices F25B49/02 and F25B49/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/022 Compressor control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 5/02 arranged in parallel

Abstract

A refrigeration system and method includes a refrigeration component and an electronics module preconfigured with a data set for the refrigeration component. The electronics module stores the data set including identification and configuration parameters of the refrigeration component. A refrigeration system controller that communicates with the electronics module to copy the data set and to regulate operation of the refrigeration component within the refrigeration system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

preconfiguring a data set for a refrigeration component, said data set including identification and configuration parameters of said refrigeration component;

storing said data set in an electronics module associated with said refrigeration component;

copying said data set to a refrigeration system controller in communication with said electronics module;

initially configuring a refrigeration system based on said copied data set; and

monitoring an occurrence of one of a trip state and a lockout state of said refrigeration component set by said electronics module.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating an updated data set based on said data set and storing said updated data set in said electronics module.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said initially configuring a refrigeration system includes communicating said data set for said refrigeration component to said refrigeration system controller upon assembly of said refrigeration component into said refrigeration system.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising copying at least a portion of said data set to an asset management database from said refrigeration system controller.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising replacing said electronics module with a replacement electronics module and copying said data set for said electronics module to said replacement electronics module.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a graphical display of a layout of said refrigeration system including identification information of said electronics module.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a cell associated with said electronics module, wherein said cell includes inputs, outputs and configuration setpoints related to said refrigeration component.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising regulating operation of said refrigeration component based on said data set.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising initiating said lockout state based on one of a voltage and a current condition to said refrigeration component.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising indicating a welded electrical contact based on said voltage and said current condition.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising temporarily suspending operation of said refrigeration component until said trip state clears.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising suspending operation of said refrigeration component until said lockout state is reset.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising resetting said lockout state by said refrigeration system controller.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising logging one of said trip state and said lockout state with an associated timestamp.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring occurrences of each of said trip state and lockout state.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising initiating an alarm when one of said trip state and said lockout state has occurred a threshold number of times.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising basing said trip state on one of a low pressure, a motor temperature, an electronics module voltage supply, a discharge pressure, a phase loss, a discharge temperature and a suction pressure.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising basing said lockout state on one of a low oil pressure, a welded contactor, an electronics module failure, a discharge temperature, a discharge pressure and a phase loss.

19. In a refrigeration system, a refrigeration component associated with an electronics module including a memory storing a data set specific to said refrigeration component, said data set including identification parameters and configuration parameters of said refrigeration component, a refrigeration system controller in communication with said electronics module to copy said data set from said electronics module and regulate operation of said refrigeration component within said refrigeration system based on said data set, said refrigeration system controller monitoring occurrences of said refrigeration component in one of a trip state and a lockout state.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said refrigeration system controller is operable to generate an updated data set and transmit said updated data set to said memory of said electronics module.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said refrigeration system controller is operable to initiate remedial action when said refrigeration component is in said lockout state.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said remedial action includes at least one of attempting to reset said lock-out state and triggering an alarm if said reset fails.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein said electronics module is operable to communicate said data set to said refrigeration system controller upon assembly of said refrigeration component into a refrigeration system.

24. The system of claim 19 further comprising an asset management database, wherein said refrigeration system controller is operable to update an asset management database based on said data set.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein said refrigeration system controller is operable to query a replacement electronics module that replaces said electronics module upon association of said replacement electronics module with said refrigeration component.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein a replacement data set from said refrigeration system controller is stored in a memory of said replacement electronics module.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein said replacement data set is a copy of said data set from said electronics module being replaced.

28. The system of claim 19 further comprising a display screen associated with said refrigeration system controller and providing a graphical display of a layout of the refrigeration system, including identification information of said refrigeration component.

29. The system of claim 19 wherein said refrigeration system controller generates a cell associated with said electronics module, wherein said cell includes inputs, outputs and configuration setpoints related to said refrigeration component associated with said respective electronics module.

30. The system of claim 19 wherein said electronics module initiates one of a trip event and a lockout event based on an operating condition of said refrigeration component.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein said lockout event indicates potential damage to said refrigeration component and is initiated based on one of a voltage and a current condition to said refrigeration component.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein said one of a voltage and a current condition indicate a welded electrical contact.

33. The system of claim 30 wherein said refrigeration system controller temporarily suspends operation of said refrigeration component during said trip event until a trip condition clears.

34. The system of claim 30 wherein said refrigeration system controller suspends operation of said refrigeration component during said lockout event until a lockout condition is reset.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said refrigeration system controller is operable to reset said lockout condition.

36. The system of claim 30 wherein said refrigeration system controller is operable to log said trip events and said lockout events and record an associated timestamp.

37. The system of claim 30 wherein said refrigeration controller is operable to monitor occurrences of each of said trip and lockout events and initiate an alarm when at least one of said trip and lockout events has occurred a threshold number of times.

38. The system of claim 30 wherein said trip event is based on at least one of a low pressure, a motor temperature, an electronics module voltage supply, a discharge pressure, a phase loss, a discharge temperature and a suction pressure.

39. The system of claim 30 wherein said lockout event is based on at least one of a low oil pressure, a welded contactor, an electronics module failure, a discharge temperature, a discharge pressure and a phase loss.

40. The system of claim 19 further comprising a plurality of refrigeration components and a plurality of electronics modules, each said electronics module associated with one of said plurality of refrigeration components, said memory of each of said electronics modules storing said data set including identification and configuration parameters of a respective refrigeration component, and wherein said refrigeration system controller receives said data sets from each of said electronics modules and regulates operation of each of said refrigeration components within said refrigeration system.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein each of said electronics modules communicates its respective data set to said refrigeration system controller upon assembly of said associated refrigeration component into said refrigeration system.

42. The system of claim 40 wherein said refrigeration system controller queries a replacement electronics module that replaces one of said electronics modules upon connection of said replacement electronics module into said refrigeration system.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein said refrigeration system controller generates a replacement data set and said replacement data set is stored in a memory of said replacement electronics module.

44. The system of claim 42 wherein said replacement data set is a copy of said data set from said electronics module being replaced.

45. The system of claim 40 wherein said refrigeration system controller generates a cell associated with each of said electronics modules, wherein said cell includes inputs, outputs and configuration setpoints related to said refrigeration component.

46. The system of claim 40 wherein said refrigeration system controller regulates operation of each of said refrigeration components based on said respective data set.

47. In a refrigeration system, a refrigeration component associated with an electronics module including a memory storing a data set specific to said refrigeration component, said data set including identification parameters and configuration parameters of said refrigeration component, a refrigeration system controller in communication with said electronics module to copy said data set from said electronics module and regulate operation of said refrigeration component within said refrigeration system based on said data set, said electronics module initiating one of a trip event and a lockout event based on an operating condition of said refrigeration component.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein said lockout event indicates potential damage to said refrigeration component and is initiated based on one of a voltage and a current condition to said refrigeration component.

49. The system of claim 48 wherein said one of a voltage and a current condition indicate a welded electrical contact.

50. The system of claim 47 wherein said refrigeration system controller temporarily suspends operation of said refrigeration component during said trip event until a trip condition clears.

51. The system of claim 47 wherein said refrigeration system controller suspends operation of said refrigeration component during said lockout event until a lockout condition is reset.

52. The system of claim 51 wherein said refrigeration system controller is operable to reset said lockout condition.

53. The system of claim 47 wherein said refrigeration system controller is operable to log said trip events and said lockout events and record an associated timestamp.

54. The system of claim 47 wherein said refrigeration controller is operable to monitor occurrences of each of said trip and lockout events and initiate an alarm when at least one of said trip and lockout events has occurred a threshold number of times.

55. The system of claim 47 wherein said trip event is based on at least one of a low pressure, a motor temperature, an electronics module voltage supply, a discharge pressure, a phase loss, a discharge temperature and a suction pressure.

56. The system of claim 47 wherein said lockout event is based on at least one of a low oil pressure, a welded contactor, an electronics module failure, a discharge temperature, a discharge pressure and a phase loss.